Acceleration Roadmap: Pathway to an Equitable Recovery May 2021
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CLASSROOM EDUCATOR EDITION Acceleration Roadmap: Pathway to an Equitable Recovery May 2021
CLASSROOM EDUCATOR EDITION 2
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
75 PLEASANT STREET, MALDEN, MA 02148-4906
CLASSROOM EDUCATOR EDITION 3
Table of Contents
Letter from the Commissioner .................................................................................................................................................................. 4
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 5
Background............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 5
Overview of the Roadmap ......................................................................................................................................................................... 6
How to Use this Roadmap: ........................................................................................................................................................................ 7
Key Action Steps for the 2021-2022 School Year .................................................................................................................................... 8
Phase 1 – Diagnostic and Planning Work ................................................................................................................................................. 9
PHASE 1 - Priority 1: Set a vision for and establish plans to foster a sense of belonging and partnership among students and families.
................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
PHASE 1 - Priority 2: Establish systems to monitor students’ understanding. ............................................................................................................ 10
PHASE 1 - Priority 3: Review and adjust curriculum and pacing guides. ...................................................................................................................... 11
Phase 2 – Launch ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 13
PHASE 2 - Priority 1: Welcome students and families to your classroom. ................................................................................................................... 13
PHASE 2 - Priority 2: Monitor students’ understanding. ..................................................................................................................................................... 14
PHASE 2 - Priority 3: Provide grade-appropriate assignments and plan scaffolding strategies........................................................................... 15
Phase 3 – Progress Monitoring................................................................................................................................................................ 16
PHASE 3 - Priority 1: Deepen relationships with students and families. ....................................................................................................................... 16
PHASE 3 – Priorities 2 and 3: Monitor students’ understanding & provide grade-appropriate instruction with just-in-time scaffolds. 17
Phase 4 – Reflection and Planning .......................................................................................................................................................... 19
PHASE 4 - Priority 1: Celebrate students’ accomplishments and reflect on students’ and families’ experiences. .......................................... 19
PHASE 4 - Priority 2: Assess and analyze student mastery of grade-level content. .................................................................................................. 19
PHASE 4 - Priority 3: Reflect on instructional practices and set professional learning goals................................................................................. 20
Appendix A: Actions and resources to provide grade-appropriate instruction with just-in-time scaffolds (Phase 3, Priority 3) .. 21
Strategy 1: Proactively build academic mindsets with your students. ........................................................................................................................... 21
Strategy 2: Set clear behavioral and academic expectations for student participation and work. ...................................................................... 21
Strategy 3: Ask questions and assign tasks that require critical thinking. .................................................................................................................... 22
Strategy 4: Give all students a chance to do the work. ....................................................................................................................................................... 22
Strategy 5: Check for understanding frequently and strategically. ................................................................................................................................. 23
Strategy 6: Hold high expectations for student responses and ask targeted follow-up questions..................................................................... 23
Strategy 7: Facilitate academic discussion and feedback among students.................................................................................................................. 23
Appendix B: Important Terms and Concepts ......................................................................................................................................... 24
Learning Acceleration and Remediation .................................................................................................................................................................................. 24
High-Quality Instructional Materials and Grade-Appropriate Assignments ................................................................................................................ 25
Scaffolding .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 25
Prerequisite Skills and Just-in-Time Scaffolding .................................................................................................................................................................... 25
Culturally Responsive Teaching ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 26
Terms of Use ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 27CLASSROOM EDUCATOR EDITION 4 Letter from the Commissioner Dear Massachusetts Educators, The 2020-2021 school year has been like no other in my career as an educator. I want to extend my thanks to all of you for your hard work on behalf of the students in our Commonwealth, day after day, amid unprecedented challenges. Despite the herculean efforts of educators and families, we must acknowledge that many of our students are facing unfinished learning heading into the summer and the next school year. While it is not a new challenge for educators to serve students with varied academic needs, the pandemic has made this challenge significantly more pronounced and widespread. To effectively meet the needs of our students – particularly those most impacted by the pandemic – we need to focus on making sure all of our kids receive the culturally responsive support they need be successful in their grade level. At the same time, we need to support students and teachers as they socially and emotionally navigate the trauma they’ve experienced during the ongoing public health and economic crises. While the pandemic has presented many challenges and disruptions to teaching and learning, we must also acknowledge the many ways our students grew throughout this past year. Many demonstrated the ability to adapt to constantly evolving circumstances, explore new ways of learning and collaborating, engage in civic processes, and advocate for what they need, among many other skills. The same can be said about the work of our dedicated and talented educators in the Commonwealth. This should be recognized as an important set of assets and expertise to leverage in the coming years. When students and staff begin the 2021-2022 school year, we should welcome one another with genuine curiosity about what each has learned in the last year and what everyone needs to be successful moving forward. This document builds on the practices demonstrated by educators across the Commonwealth this year and provides specific actions you can take during the 2021-2022 school year to address the diversity of learning needs in your classroom. The strategies in this document are based on a philosophy of learning acceleration, which strategically prepares students for success in the present — this week, on this content. Past concepts and skills are taught, but always in the context of grade-level learning. Learning acceleration doesn’t mean racing through the curriculum, but instead ensuring that students can spend as much time as possibl e engaging meaningfully with grade-appropriate work. If a student hasn’t mastered the earlier skills that are required to complete a grade-appropriate assignment, the student receives “just-in-time support” — giving the student just the right amount of help to move forward, right when they need that help, through scaffolds and coordinated interventions. When this approach includes strong relationship-building efforts, social emotional support, and authentic partnerships with families, we know that we are setting our students up for success. We have partnered with TNTP, a national education nonprofit that has been supporting districts for more than two decades, to develop a roadmap for acceleration for the state. The Acceleration Roadmap sets the priorities needed to accelerate learning in our schools and classrooms. As part of the design process, we heard from educators, students, and community members from across the Commonwealth. We appreciate the time that everyone took to share their experiences and insights with us. Their perspectives helped shape this roadmap. We know districts, schools, and educators are in different places in their planning and recovery efforts, and many of you may already incorporate many of the action steps outlined here. This guide is organized in a manner that allows you to chart your own course, starting at the beginning, identifying steps you already have in place, and then identifying priority additional steps as soon as your team is ready. The Department is committed to supporting you and will be in touch with webinar and professional learning opportunities over the next few months for you and your school and district administrators to support implementation of strategies in this guide. I look forward to our continued work together on behalf of the Commonwealth’s children. Sincerely, Jeffrey C. Riley Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Please consider providing feedback on this roadmap through this survey. Your feedback will inform the content and structure of professional development aligned to this roadmap as well as future DESE guidance.
CLASSROOM EDUCATOR EDITION 5
Introduction
The Acceleration Roadmap is a tool for teachers and school/building administrators in Massachusetts. It is designed to provide a
focused and phased approach to supporting students as they begin the 2021-2022 school year, a year that will lay the foundation for
accelerated learning over the next several years. The roadmap is organized around three overarching priorities, which are grounded in
research and were developed through extensive stakeholder feedback. These priorities are to:
1. Foster a sense of belonging and partnership among students and families,1 2 3
2. Continuously monitor students’ understanding, and 4 5
3. Ensure strong grade-appropriate instruction with just-in-time scaffolds when they are needed.6 7 8
Within each priority, our approaches are designed to create equitable experiences and outcomes for all of your students in a manner
that is affirming of their race, identity, home language, and unique abilities.
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced schools across the country to confront unprecedented challenges. A months-long disruption of
school has exacerbated longstanding inequities and opportunity gaps, at a moment when the nation has been grappling with issues
concerning systemic racism.
Despite the efforts of teachers, administrators and families, over this past year, many students missed out on critical instructional time,
particularly our traditionally underserved students. Simultaneously, students participated in remote and hybrid settings, gaining skills,
perspective, and knowledge about their unique ways of learning, and we should approach the fall with the intention of leveraging their
expertise to design instruction that meets their needs. The same can be said for the resilience and expertise of our classroom educators.
As we plan to support the diversity of student needs this fall, with a focus on educational equity, a body of research supports the
strategy of learning acceleration.
All students receive consistent access to grade-level work with targeted scaffolds to make it
Learning Acceleration
accessible.9
Students mainly receive work better suited for earlier grades, based on the misconception that they
Traditional Remediation:
must master all past concepts before accessing grade-level work.10
A common approach to addressing unfinished learning is remediation, which is often based on the misconception that for students to
learn new information, they must first go back and master everything they missed. In TNTP’s report, “The Opportunity Myth,” they
found the remediation approach of starting the school year with months of prior year content, when used exclusively, practically
guarantees that students will actually lose more academic ground. Further, these approaches serve to reinforce misguided beliefs that
some students cannot do grade-level work. The students stuck in this vicious cycle are disproportionately students of color, English
learners, students with disabilities, and those from low-income families.
Schools and classrooms that have been able to break this cycle (as highlighted in “The Opportunity Myth”) have embraced a learning
acceleration approach, which asserts that every student is capable of accessing grade-appropriate work with the right supports, and
that regular access to grade-appropriate work is critical to their academic development.11 Accelerating learning does not mean rushing
through curriculum or teaching only certain portions of academic standards. In addition to providing grade-appropriate work, it
requires collecting ongoing data on what students know and are able to do, incorporating the scaffolding strategies students need in
the context of a school-wide multi-tiered system of support, and simultaneously developing a culture of belonging and inclusivity.
1
Retrieved from http://studentexperiencenetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/What-We-Know-About-Belonging.pdf
2
Christenson, S. L., Reschly, A. L., & Wylie, C. (Eds.). (2012). What is student engagement? In Handbook of research on student engagement. Springer
Science & Business Media.
3
Aronson, B., & Laughter, J. (2016). The theory and practice of culturally relevant education: A synthesis of research across content areas. Review of
Educational Research, 86 (1), 163-206.
4
Harbour, K. E., Evanovich, L. L., Sweigart, C. A., & Hughes, L. E. (2015). A brief review of effective teaching practices that maximize student
engagement. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth, 59(1), 5-13.
5
Rosenshine, B. (2012). Principles of Instruction: Research-Based Strategies That All Teachers Should Know. American educator, 36(1), 12.
6
TNTP. (2018). The Opportunity Myth. Brooklyn, NY: TNTP Retrieved from https://opportunitymyth.tntp.org/.
7
Matsumura, L. C., Garnier, H., Pascal, J., & Valdés, R. (2002). Measuring instructional quality in accountability systems: Classroom assignments and
student achievement. Educational Assessment, 8(3), 207-229.
8
Joyce, J., Harrison, J. R., & Gitomer, D. H. (2018). Modifications and accommodations: a preliminary investigation into changes in classroom artifact
quality. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 1-21.
9
Retrieved 3 June 2020 from: http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/114026/chapters/Acceleration@_Jump-Starting_Students_Who_Are_Behind.aspx
10
Retrieved 3 June 2020 from: http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/114026/chapters/Acceleration@_Jump-Starting_Students_Who_Are_Behind.aspx
11
https://opportunitymyth.tntp.org/different-resources-different-resultsCLASSROOM EDUCATOR EDITION 6
Overview of the Roadmap
This roadmap is designed to help educators and administrators plan to accelerate learning for all students during the 2021-2022 school
year. It divides the year into four phases:
Phase 1: Phase 2: Phase 3: Phase 4:
Diagnostic and Planning Launch Progress Monitoring Reflection and Planning
Before the 1st day of school 2021 September - October 2021 November 2021 - April 2022 May - June 2022
Within each phase, we offer guidance aligned to the three key priorities:
Priority 1: Foster a sense of belonging and partnership among students and families12
This past year has shown us how powerful it is when we leverage entire communities to ensure that every child has the support they
need. As school systems plan for the next school year, it’s essential to engage students, families, and a wide range of community
organizations as full partners. Students’ sense of belonging is a critical — and often undervalued — condition for academic success.
Students who feel a sense of belonging “feel socially connected, supported, and respected”.13 They trust their teachers and their
peers, and they “feel a sense of fit at school.” 14 In order to engage with students and their families as authentic partners, we must
approach engagement with a focus on equity. This means a) establishing meaningful engagement activities and systems that do not
characterize or treat specific parent groups as deficient in their level of engagement or approach to education and b)
acknowledging and navigating cultural differences through communication, humility, and sensitivity. 15
Priority 2: Continuously monitor students’ understanding.
To accelerate students’ progress, system leaders and educators need to identify exactly what unfinished learning needs to be
addressed, when, and how. Accelerated learning requires that students consistently receive grade-level materials and tasks, along
with targeted scaffolds that make the work accessible.16 In order to do this, educators need to have a strategic approach to
collecting and using diagnostic data this year, so that they’re identifying the highest priority prerequisite knowledge and skills “just
in time” throughout the school year. As the Achievement Network states in 3 Principles for Assessments During Instructional
Recovery and Beyond, “Data should never serve as a gatekeeper to grade-level content” but should instead inform educators of how
to support students in accessing the content.
Priority 3: Ensure strong grade-appropriate instruction with just-in-time scaffolds when they are needed.
Students need consistent access to grade-appropriate assignments that will help them master grade-level standards. This is
especially important for students who are performing below grade level, who research has shown are the least likely to receive
grade-appropriate assignments. In addition to providing grade-appropriate assignments, it’s important that teachers use strong
instructional practices, including addressing the unique needs of English learners and providing individualized, modified content
and appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities. 17
12
Language and resources in Priority 1 draw on resources created by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) https://ccsso.org/coronavirus
13
http://studentexperiencenetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/What-We-Know-About-Belonging.pdf
14
http://studentexperiencenetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/What-We-Know-About-Belonging.pdf
15
https://oese.ed.gov/files/2020/10/equitable_family_engag_508.pdf
16
Retrieved 3 June 2020 from: http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/114026/chapters/Acceleration@_Jump-Starting_Students_Who_Are_Behind.aspx
17
TNTP. (2018). The Opportunity Myth. Brooklyn, NY: TNTP Retrieved from https://opportunitymyth.tntp.org/.CLASSROOM EDUCATOR EDITION 7
How to Use this Roadmap:
Consider your context: Throughout this roadmap, resources and tools are organized by priority and phase of the year. The
priority-level guidance includes key guiding questions, suggested steps for success, and aligned resources. We recognize that
many educators and administrators may already have a plan in place for some or all of the listed action steps. Given the
different places schools and educators are in and the need to set the conditions for sustainable change, we encourage
you to review the charts in each phase, identify what you already have in place, and focus on one additional step at a
time, working your way down the list as you and your team are ready. Note that timeframes in the document are
approximate and are designed to illustrate when certain key actions may be most effective. Districts and schools should adapt
the suggested dates to fit their local context.
Plan Strategically: Depending on where each classroom, school, and district is starting from, it may not be feasible to
incorporate all of the suggested steps in one year. Rather, the goal of this tool is to help educators and administrators identify
high-priority goals and action steps that will best serve students in their unique context and to deepen educators’ and
administrators’ commitment to action steps that they have already implemented. Upcoming webinars from TNTP will support
educators’ and administrators’ use of this guide to set priorities and create an action plan for each phase of the year.
Sign up for implementation support: This document provides a list of action steps that can be described as “the what” –
key steps that will support learning acceleration in classrooms and schools this upcoming school year. However, we realize
that a document alone may not provide sufficient support. Users may also require support in determining the “how”: based
on a classroom’s specific diagnostic data, how might you adjust a pacing guide? How can administrators effectively support
change management by leveraging educator voice, strategically staffing to support priorities, and being mindful of educator
burnout? These specific “how” elements will be addressed through a menu of professional learning opportunities, available
synchronously and asynchronously throughout the summer. You can also suggest additional professional learning topics
through our Acceleration Roadmap feedback survey.
Disclosure Statement
Reference in this website to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporation name
is for the information and convenience of the public and does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the Massachusetts
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Our office is not responsible for and does not in any way guarantee the
accuracy of information in other sites accessible through links herein. For more information, contact: Jacqulyn.M.Gantzer@mass.gov,
781-338-3529.CLASSROOM EDUCATOR EDITION 8
Key Action Steps for the 2021-2022 School Year
Below is a high-level summary of key action steps for the 2021-2022 school year that classroom educators will find outlined in this Roadmap.
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4
Diagnostic & Planning Launch Progress Monitoring Reflection & Planning
Before first day of school ‘21 Sept.-Oct. ‘21 Nov. ‘21-April ‘22 May-June ‘22
• Plan for a welcoming • Monitor attendance and • Continue to develop culturally • Provide an end-of-
environment, including engagement. responsive and SEL instruction skills. year survey to gather
Sense of explicit culturally • Build relationships and • Gather student and family feedback to feedback on student
Belonging responsive and SEL conduct regular student build stronger relationships and and family
instruction. check-ins. instruction. experiences.
• Gather information on • Drive student learning using the Teacher • Plan an event that
student and family Instructional Cycle. celebrates students’
experiences. accomplishments.
• Create a family
communication plan.
• Plan an assessment • Use curriculum-embedded • Conduct summative
Monitor calendar. assessments. assessments.
Understanding • Collect available • Participate in school-based • Share data to support
assessment data. data analysis PD. planning for summer
learning and the next
school year.
• Evaluate curriculum • Set rituals for regular • Analyze student
Strong against CURATE rubric to examination of student achievement data to
Instruction ensure grade-level rigor. work against grade-level inform areas to adjust
• Adjust pacing guide to standards with English next year.
include time for scaffolds learner & special education
while prioritizing grade- colleagues.
level content. • Plan scaffolding strategies
for daily or weekly lessons,
where needed.CLASSROOM EDUCATOR EDITION 9
Phase 1 – Diagnostic and Planning Work
Prior to the First Day of School, 2021
PHASE 1 - Priority 1: Set a vision for and establish plans to foster a sense of belonging and
partnership among students and families.
In this phase, your goal is to understand previous student and family experiences and needs leading into the 2021-2022 school
year. You should review any school survey data that is available, develop a plan to communicate with students’
families, and prepare your classroom activities to ensure that you are able to learn about the students and
families you will work with this year. Consider using this calendar worksheet to chart your course for the year.
Key Questions Steps for Success Aligned Resources
Do students feel • Set a vision for a welcoming, supportive, and • Review these “Look-Fors” for
welcome in my inclusive classroom environment. culturally responsive teaching 18 and
classroom? • Ensure that your vision is built for all students, culturally responsive SEL to set goals
including students from groups that are for yourself for the year.
commonly marginalized or not part of the • Reflect on DESE’s 5 elements of safe
dominant culture group. & supportive schools.
• Engage in learning opportunities to build on your • Use CASEL’s three signature practices
cultural proficiency and sociopolitical to foster a supportive environment or
consciousness. use their guide to creating a
• Prepare transitional lesson plans that teach supportive environment with
grade-level content while incorporating social consistent routines.
and emotional learning. • Explore TNTP’s sample transitional
lessons for examples.
Am I seeking student • Gather information about students’ and families’ • Review results from or adapt TNTP’s
and family input and experiences, wellbeing, and engagement needs, Learning Acceleration Survey.
feedback to inform my providing translation and interpretation where • Consider using this sample
efforts? necessary. communication template to reach out
• Collect previous attendance data for incoming to incoming families.
students. • Consider using this communication
• Analyze the information to identify which tracking tool to reflect on and
students and families may benefit from monitor your practices of building
additional relationship building between home meaningful partnerships with families.
and school and what strategies may work best. • Adapt resources like the Facilitating
Listening Sessions Toolkit that foster
two-way communication.
Am I fostering a strong • Create a communication plan that identifies • Reference DESE’s Family Engagement
relationship and times and methods for when you will establish Framework to support planning.
partnership with all contact with each family. • Consult this guide for effectively
families? • Set a communication goal that fits within your engaging families of English learners.
plan and unique context, such as establishing a • Consult this guide and resources for
short, positive conversation with at least 90% of beginning positive relationships with
your families by the end of the first week of families of students with disabilities.
school. • Check your assumptions with the
Flamboyan Foundation’s Challenging
Assumptions Reflection Tool.
18
“Culturally Responsive Teaching”: Great teaching is culturally responsive teaching: focused on promoting academic achievement, demonstrating cultural competence, and fostering students’
sociopolitical awareness.CLASSROOM EDUCATOR EDITION 10
PHASE 1 - Priority 2: Establish systems to monitor students’ understanding.
In this phase, your goal is to make sure you have the necessary assessment tools and data systems to determine how
you will bring students into grade-level instruction.
Key Questions Steps for Success Aligned Resources
Am I collecting timely
• Update your scope and sequence to include • Use the Standards Navigator to match
and relevant academic
time to collect timely and relevant academic key content with assessment items.
data from students?
data in a manner that fits your content area.
• Use page 14 of this resource to
• Work with your school leadership team to plan consider the best diagnostic strategy
an assessment calendar, including dates for for your content area. With literacy,
systemwide screeners and curriculum embedded regular screeners may be helpful. In
assessments. math, consider whether you can build
in unit-by-unit diagnostics that can
• Consider incorporating alternative ways of
provide timely information (vs. a
demonstrating comprehension for beginning to
lengthy diagnostic at the beginning
intermediate ELs, such as responding orally
of year).
instead of in writing and encouraging their use
of their home language. • If you are using assessments from
your school’s curriculum, evaluate the
• Collaborate with special education teachers to
quality and adapt them, if necessary.
design and reflect on assessments that are
aligned to learning goals and free of barriers. • Implement a valid and reliable
screener for early literacy, consulting
DESE’s literacy assessment page for
resources.
Am I analyzing data and
• Plan for upcoming school data-distribution • Add data days to your calendar
using it to plan for
dates with an understanding of how and when worksheet or use your preferred
instruction?
the data will be used to inform instruction. planning calendar.
• Collect any available assessment data from the • Review data to learn about your
previous year or summer that provides students.
information on potential instruction gaps at the
student and/or class/cohort level. • Consider following this guide on
using Universal Design for Learning 19 3F
(UDL) practices to create formative
assessments that are accessible to all
students.
19
Universal Design for Learning is a way of thinking about teaching and learning that helps give all students an equal opportunity to succeed. See www.understood.orgCLASSROOM EDUCATOR EDITION 11
PHASE 1 - Priority 3: Review and adjust curriculum and pacing guides.
In this phase, your goal is to review your curricular materials and adjust your pacing guide to prepare to provide
grade-appropriate assignments for students.
Key Questions Steps for Success Aligned Resources
Am I using high-quality,
• Evaluate the quality and grade-appropriateness • Visit the Massachusetts CURATE
grade-appropriate
of your current curriculum against the CURATE website for reports on widely used
curricular and
rubric and make adjustments, where necessary. curriculum materials.
instructional materials?
• Reflect on your own instructional practice to • If CURATE has not rated your
ensure you are holding high, transparent materials, consider using these tools:
expectations for all students and supporting the o Evaluate whether your adopted
development of students’ academic skills and instructional materials are
identities as learners. standards-aligned.
• Collaborate with English language development o Determine if your materials meet
teachers and/or instructional specialists to the needs of your English learners.
prioritize teaching language skills and o Use this tool to determine if your
vocabulary that are embedded in the curriculum curricular materials are culturally
and content standards to accelerate the responsive.
development of language and content
simultaneously. • Refer to this guidance from DESE if
your school is planning to change
curriculum or if you need to adapt
your current curriculum.
• Review tools and resources for
addressing the needs of English
learners with learning disabilities.
Am I providing
Adapt your pacing guide to include time for • This resource contains scaffolding
differentiated just-in-
just-in-time interventions to fill in learning gaps strategies that can be used to address
time interventions to
from last year while prioritizing grade-level gaps in foundational skills.
address instructional
content. This includes:
gaps from last year? • Consult these guides for identifying
• Time at the beginning of the unit to assess language demands in ELA and math
the foundational skills needed to master the in order to write strong language
unit’s content and objectives, and consult this sample
• Time to supplement content to address the template for planning language
identified gaps in foundational skills objectives.
Identify language demands and provide • Refer to the Interactive Blueprint for
linguistic supports to scaffold content for English EL Success for guidance and
learners. exemplars of effective planning and
practices for ELs.
Anticipate and plan for potential barriers to
learning by designing flexible lessons and • Consult these resources for guidance
learning environments. and templates for planning lessons
and breaking down barriers to
learning with UDL.
• With respect to literacy, consider this
resource for supporting students with
early literacy skills and this resource
for literacy accelerators for older
students.
• Provide assistive technology tools and
resources in the classroom.CLASSROOM EDUCATOR EDITION 12
CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING
Great teaching is culturally responsive teaching: focused on promoting academic achievement, demonstrating cultural competence,
and fostering students’ sociopolitical awareness. The following DESE resources can support educators in this work.
Videos of classroom instruction from the Culturally Responsive Teaching Video Library showcase strong culturally responsive
teaching by Massachusetts educators in a range of content areas, grade levels, and teaching models from the 2020-2021 school
year (remote, hybrid, and in-person).
The Facilitator’s Guide: Using OPTIC to Strengthen Understandings of Culturally Responsive Teaching is a video-based platform
designed to help educators, evaluators, coaches, and mentors build understanding of what culturally responsive teaching looks
like and how to support it through high-quality feedback.
The Culturally Responsive Look-Fors are a set of observable, culturally responsive teacher and student actions aligned to focus
elements from the Classroom Teacher Model Rubric.
Videos of classroom instruction from the Video Calibration Library and the companion Culturally Responsive Teaching Rubric
can help you identify aspects of culturally responsive teaching and consider ways to further integrate it into your practice.
Consider attending workshops on text selection, inclusive and equitable tasks, social-justice oriented tasks, or equitable
instruction.
Sign up for implementation support: See our menu of professional learning opportunities and register for relevant sessions to
support you in implementing these actions. You can also suggest additional professional learning topics through our Acceleration
Roadmap feedback survey.CLASSROOM EDUCATOR EDITION 13
Phase 2 – Launch
September – October 2021
PHASE 2 - Priority 1: Welcome students and families to your classroom.
In this phase, you will focus on establishing welcoming classroom systems and routines, closely monitoring student
attendance and engagement, and communicating frequently with students and families.
Key Questions Steps for Success Aligned Resources
Do students feel
• Closely monitor student attendance and • Consult this guide with steps to
welcome in my
engagement. strengthen student attendance and
classroom?
assignment completion.
• Engage students in activities that support
building early relationships. • Consider using activities from the
table below this chart.
Am I seeking student
• Conduct daily or weekly check-ins with students. • Use these English learner-friendly
and family input and
Google forms for regular check-ins.
feedback to inform my • Create a communication tracking tool to reflect
efforts? on and monitor your practices. • Adapt this sample communication
tracking tool.
• Solicit student and family feedback to ensure
your efforts are informed by, and reflective of, • Consider working with your school to
their values and priorities. host parent perspectives workshop or
partnering with your school’s SEPAC or
district ELPAC to facilitate.
• Incorporate DESE’s Adapted Model
Feedback Surveys to capture student
feedback.
Am I fostering strong
• Send home a family letter in their preferred • Adapt and send this sample family
partnerships with all
language to explain academic goals for the 2021- letter explaining learning acceleration
families?
2022 school year. or use these family guides to the
standards.
• Revisit your initial communication plan and goal;
update and revise where necessary to maintain • Utilize the Flamboyan Foundation’s
regular, positive connections with students and Challenging Assumptions Reflection
families who would most benefit from increased Tool.
relationship building.
IDEAS FOR STRENGTHENING STUDENTS’ SCHOOL RELATIONSHIPS AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING
Make a plan to implement some of these strategies regularly throughout the school year. Choose the strategies that are
most appropriate for your grade and subject area.
Use this relationship mapping strategy
Engage students in creating a learner
to ensure all students have a strong Implement Brain Breaks
autobiography
relationship with someone at school
Consult Transforming
Support the development of a growth
Work with students to create If-Then Education’s Trauma-informed SEL
mindset with Rose, Bud, Thorn
Plans Toolkit for strengths-based strategies
Journaling
you can integrate into your classroom.CLASSROOM EDUCATOR EDITION 14
PHASE 2 - Priority 2: Monitor students’ understanding.
In this phase, your goal is to make sure you have the data to determine how to bring students into grade-level
instruction. Give a limited number of short assessments that prioritize students’ wellbeing while giving you the
information you need to bring them into your next unit of study.
Key Questions Steps for Success Aligned Resources
Am I collecting timely
• Within your first unit of instruction, use • Read this overview explaining the
and relevant academic
curriculum-embedded assessments that can help purpose of curriculum embedded
data from students?
monitor student understanding of grade-level assessments.
content.
• Read this overview about prioritizing
assessment data that is close to
instruction.
• To map assessment items back to
standards, use the standards
navigator.
Am I analyzing data and
• Participate in school-based data analysis cycles • Utilize your school’s data analysis forms
using it to plan for
and/or professional development. and templates. If you need examples,
instruction?
consider these:
• Set up systems to collaborate with ESL teachers
and/or instructional specialists to analyze o TNTP’s Student Experience
formative assessments alongside language Assessment Guide and Assignment
proficiency data to identify strengths and areas Review Protocols (also in appendix
for growth. for all subject areas)
• Set up systems to collaborate with special o EL Education’s ATLAS protocol
education teachers to revisit IEP goals, determine
o Student Achievement Partners’
progress, and discuss how to leverage students’
protocol
strengths to achieving their goals.
o Chart that contrasts culturally
sustaining and culturally
destructive dialogue.
• Use the WIDA Can Do Descriptors to
understand what ELs at different levels
of English proficiency can do in the four
domains and what students should be
growing toward.
• Use this guidance to co-create
strengths-based goals with students
with disabilities.CLASSROOM EDUCATOR EDITION 15
PHASE 2 - Priority 3: Provide grade-appropriate assignments and plan scaffolding strategies.
In this phase, your goal is to prepare and provide grade-appropriate assignments. You might feel tempted to give
students work that’s below their grade level this year to address what they missed in the prior year. But this
traditional approach to remediation often just ensures students will never catch up. Instead, provide grade-
level content along with “just-in-time” interventions to fill in learning gaps from last year.
Key Questions Steps for Success Aligned Resources
Am I using high-quality,
• Evaluate the quality of assignments you are • See TNTP’s assignment review
grade-appropriate
providing to ensure all students have the protocols for content-specific guides,
curricular and
opportunity to meaningfully engage in high- and browse examples of low- and
instructional materials?
quality, grade-appropriate content. high-quality assignments in their
student work library.
• Reflecting on your instructional practice, set goals
to ensure you are holding high, transparent • Use the Culturally Responsive
expectations for all students and supporting the Teaching Rubric & video library to set
development of students’ academic skills and instructional goals for yourself this
identities as learners. year.
• Use Universal Design for Learning
(UDL) principles of engagement,
representation, and expression.
Am I providing
• Once you have assessment data, update your • Use TNTP’s Scaffolding Strategies for
differentiated just-in-
pacing guide to identify specific areas where general and content-specific
time interventions to
students will likely need just-in-time interventions strategies.
address instructional
within each unit.
gaps from last year? • Refer to DESE’s Interactive Blueprint
• Proactively plan scaffolding strategies for daily or for EL Success and Quick Reference
weekly lessons according to the learning Guides for meaningful and rigorous
objective, target standard(s), and your students’ classroom-level learning opportunities
needs. that build on English learners’ assets
and classroom-level academic and
• Incorporate multiple appropriate entry points that
linguistic supports.
maintain rigorous expectations for students at
different English language proficiency levels and • Use this step-by-step UDL lesson
for students with learning disabilities. planning template to identify and
address potential barriers to learning
for students with disabilities.
• Provide instructional materials and
texts in accessible formats to increase,
maintain, or improve the functional
capabilities of a child with a disability.
Sign up for implementation support: See our menu of professional learning opportunities and register for relevant sessions to
support you in implementing these actions. You can also suggest additional professional learning topics through our Acceleration
Roadmap feedback survey.CLASSROOM EDUCATOR EDITION 16
Phase 3 – Progress Monitoring
November 2021 – May 2022
PHASE 3 - Priority 1: Deepen relationships with students and families.
In this phase, your goal is to utilize data and feedback from students and families to revise and update your
engagement plan. You should use systems that allow you to monitor students’ and families’ experiences
continuously and adjust your approaches to target the most effective strategies for the students and families who
may benefit most.
Now is the time to go back to your calendar worksheet. Ensure you have built in planning time and instructional time for these
steps in each unit throughout the rest of the school year.
Key Questions Steps for Success Aligned Resources
Do students feel
• Reflect on and develop your linguistically and • Consult these video resources on
welcome in my
culturally responsive teaching practices. culturally responsive teaching to view
classroom?
exemplars, study and reflect on
• Align your academic objectives to SEL objectives
instructional practice, or calibrate with
to support development of social and emotional
peers using OPTIC to identify
competencies.
culturally responsive teaching Look-
Fors in math and ELA.
• Use this guide and resource from
CASEL for examples of aligning SEL
and academic content.
Am I seeking student
• Administer a brief student engagement survey to • Use or adapt this TNTP student
and family input and
collect information on student engagement during engagement survey.
feedback to inform my
lessons.
efforts? • Reference this sample communication
• Use the data collected from the student tracker or revisit the one you created
engagement survey to adjust your lesson plans in Phase I.
and set a goal for increased engagement in the
• Use or adapt this TNTP stakeholder
next unit.
feedback reflection and planning
• Update your family communication plan to guide template.
incorporate data from your communication tracker
• Consider using this Academic
and feedback you’ve received from families.
Partnering Toolkit for Teachers to
continue reflecting on and modifying
your approach to equitable and
culturally responsive family
partnerships.CLASSROOM EDUCATOR EDITION 17
PHASE 3 – Priorities 2 and 3: Monitor students’ understanding & provide grade-appropriate
instruction with just-in-time scaffolds.
In this phase, your goal is to monitor student learning and adjust instructional strategies to ensure that all students
demonstrate mastery of grade-level content. You may use formal assessment instruments, such as summative end-
of-unit quizzes, tests, and projects, but equally important is including formative and in-class assessments in the
form of classwork and tasks. The methods you use to monitor students’ understanding will be highly specialized for
your subject area, grade level, and school. However, all teachers should follow the same instructional cycle to
systematically accelerate learning:
Learning Acceleration Instructional Cycle
Cycle Step Steps for Success Aligned Resources
1. Conduct unit-specific • Use curriculum-embedded tasks or questions from • Use tasks and questions from your
pre-assessment the unit as a pre-assessment, being sure to assess standards-aligned curriculum
the aligned standards or prerequisite standards. • Use the standards navigator to identify
prerequisite standards.
2. Determine which • Where gaps are identified, determine prerequisite • Build your knowledge of grade-level
prior knowledge to standards that could be integrated into grade- standards in your grade as well as those
embed within the level units of study to support grade-level mastery. directly above and below yours. These
unit. content guides are a useful resource.
3. Continuously assess • Plan formative assessments for between and • Use formative assessment data to guide
student learning by within lessons. instruction.
reviewing work and • Continue to collaborate and seek out the support • Use or adapt this collaborative protocol
data. of instructional specialists (e.g., ESL teachers and for reviewing student work to discuss
special education teachers) to interpret data and instructional next steps.
monitor the progress of specific student groups. • Consult this guidance on best practices
for looking at EL student data and
making data-informed decisions.
• Use the student work library or this
collection of student writing samples on
OPTIC to calibrate alignment to grade-
level standards, either independently or
with your peers.
• Study your students’ writing samples for
alignment to grade-level standards.CLASSROOM EDUCATOR EDITION 18
PHASE 3 – Priorities 2 and 3: Monitor students’ understanding & provide grade-appropriate
instruction with just-in-time scaffolds.
Cycle Step Steps for Success Aligned Resources
4. Determine the best • Visit Appendix A: Actions and
• Focus on one or two instructional strategies that
ways to reteach resources to provide grade-
require students to “do the thinking,” which will help
specific content to appropriate instruction with just-in-
them build their knowledge and skills and more
students who need time scaffolds (Phase 3, Priority 3) for
deeply engage in their learning.
it. a list of instructional strategies.
• Continue providing various scaffolds, keeping track
• Revisit TNTP’s Scaffolding Strategies
of which are most effective for specific knowledge
to identify which are most effective
and skills and for individual students.
with your students.
• Understand what learners can do with language • Use the WIDA Can Do Descriptors to
across subject areas and use what you learn to understand what ELs at different
support equitable access and assessment for English levels of English proficiency can do in
learners. the four domains and what they
• Provide opportunities for English learners to should be growing toward.
demonstrate their learning in all four language • Refer to this guidance to understand
domains and in their home language, in accordance the difference between interventions
with their English proficiency level. and accommodations for students
with IEPs.
• Visit the U.S. Department of
Education’s, Office of Special
Education Programs for guidance on
Multi-tiered Systems of Support for
ELs with and without disabilities.
MULTI-TIERED SYSTEMS OF SUPPORT
Your goal is to support students within Tier 1 instruction by using just-in-time instruction and scaffolds. Tier 1 scaffolds are the best
way to support mastery when the majority of your students are struggling with a concept or skill. However, you must build classroom
systems (or use your school’s system) of support to ensure that every student receives a high-quality educational experience.
• Watch or re-watch this intro video about MTSS and the literacy-specific overview here.
• Remember that Tier 2 and Tier 3 instruction should be aligned to Tier 1 instruction. Work with your coach or grade-level
team to consider what tiers of support will be helpful for your students, but remember, tiers are not locations. It may be
helpful to review this resource: Understanding Tier Patterns and Movements Within MTSS.
• Visit this DESE resource page for more information on organizing for tiered instruction.
Sign up for implementation support: See our menu of professional learning opportunities and register for relevant sessions to
support you in implementing these actions. You can also suggest additional professional learning topics through our Acceleration
Roadmap feedback survey.CLASSROOM EDUCATOR EDITION 19
Phase 4 – Reflection and Planning
May–June 2022
PHASE 4 - Priority 1: Celebrate students’ accomplishments and reflect on students’ and
families’ experiences.
In this phase, your goal is to celebrate students’ and families’ achievements this year and solicit their feedback to plan
for the upcoming school year.
Key Questions Steps for Success Aligned Resources
Do students feel
• Summarize helpful information you have • Plan for the last 6 weeks of school.
welcome in my
gathered throughout the year, including
classroom?
effective strategies for supporting specific
students and families.
• Work with colleagues to determine the best way
to document and share this information.
• Plan an event that celebrates students’
accomplishments. Consider collaborating with
other staff and including families and caregivers.
Am I seeking student
• Use end-of-year surveys to gather data from • Use or adapt TNTP’s Learning
and family input and
students and families. Acceleration Survey.
feedback to inform my
efforts? • Work in teams to analyze the results and
determine how effective your practices were in
partnering with students and families.
• Disaggregate results by student population to
identify trends and areas for continued focus.
PHASE 4 - Priority 2: Assess and analyze student mastery of grade-level content.
In this phase, your goal is to conduct summative assessments that support summer learning opportunities and/or a
strong start to next school year.
Key Questions Steps for Success Aligned Resources
Am I using effective
• Conduct summative assessments, including • Research on Classroom Summative
assessment
MCAS, that capture student mastery of grade- Assessment.
instruments?
level content.
Am I analyzing data and
• Collect and analyze results from summative • Tips on Organizing Student Data
using it to plan for
assessments. Work with colleagues to determine
instruction? • Follow sound practices for students
the best way to document this information to
with IEPs using the IEP process guide.
inform summer programming or next school year.
• Analyze whole-class, student group, and
individual student results to identify areas to
adjust instructional practices moving forward.
• Ensure that students’ IEP and progress reports
accurately reflect each student’s growth, current
achievement levels, and the most effective
methods for supporting them.You can also read
